Chapter 571: A Proposal Regarding the Competition
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 571: A Proposal Regarding the Competition
"I have a proposal regarding the selection of the successor."
Lee Jae-won continued speaking with a calm expression.
"As you all know, a month has already passed since we postponed the competition due to that unfortunate incident. If we delay any further, the dissatisfaction among the candidate factions will surely reach a breaking point. Therefore, as the Alliance Leader, I propose that we proceed with the succession contest as scheduled. What are your thoughts?"
Lee Jae-won scanned the room as he spoke.
"..."
"..."
The members of the leadership remained tight-lipped. They felt a lingering sense of unease about readily accepting his proposal.
The Gu Clan, led by Gu Ja-yeop—one of the most influential figures among the leadership—had been completely annihilated. In such a situation, they questioned whether it was truly appropriate to resume the competition.
"I am in favor. If we delay any longer, the backlash will be severe."
It was Lee Dae-gon, the Hwalbindang Master, who finally spoke up from a corner of the room.
"I also agree. We cannot keep postponing it forever."
"I agree as well..."
"Me too..."
"And I."
With Lee Dae-gon leading the way, one after another began to voice their support for Lee Jae-won’s opinion.
These bastards...
Du Gwak, the Hall Master of the Wood Hall, scrutinized the faces of the leaders who were siding with the Alliance Leader. Every single one of them was either a member of the pro-Leader faction or a politician looking to line their pockets by siding with the candidates.
Scum, the lot of them.
Du Gwak scowled deeply. He was infuriated by their willingness to disregard a comrade's death for the sake of power.
"I am grateful that so many of you agree with my opinion. It seems I wasn't the only one thinking this way."
Watching the scene unfold, Lee Jae-won continued with a thin smile playing on his lips.
"Then, according to the majority, we shall proceed with the succession contest."
Lee Jae-won spoke as if making a formal proclamation.
Hah.
Du Gwak let out a hollow laugh internally. Lee Jae-won had brushed aside the dissenting minority as if their opinions didn't matter in the slightest.
Normally, meetings weren't decided by a simple majority vote on every agenda item. The essence of a meeting was to find common ground through discussion. To force his point through by jumping straight to a majority vote—how could Du Gwak not find it absurd?
This one and that one, they’re all the same.
He thought to himself that the Cheonmu Alliance was a far more vulgar organization than he had ever imagined.
"At any rate, since that is settled, I would like to hear your opinions on how we should conduct the competition. It is only right that we find an agreement through discussion rather than me acting autocratically."
Lee Jae-won continued to scan the room with a relaxed expression.
"..."
However, even after he finished speaking, no one opened their mouth. Between the large-character poster incident and the massacre of the Gu Clan, so many major events had occurred in succession that interest in the contest had been pushed to the back burner.
"Do you have no opinions at all?"
When they remained silent, Lee Jae-won continued with a look of feigned disappointment.
"It seems I am the only one who has given this any thought."
Lee Jae-won shook his head slightly as he spoke.
"Alliance Leader, do you perhaps have a specific plan in mind for the competition?"
Lee Dae-gon of Hwalbindang asked, sounding curious. It was a very intentional question.
"It’s not that I haven't thought of anything... This is about choosing the successor to the proud Cheonmu Alliance; how could I not have considered it? I’ve kept my mouth shut because the atmosphere within the Alliance has been so chaotic lately, but I have several ideas."
Lee Jae-won continued, looking somewhat bashful.
"As expected, the Alliance Leader possesses deep insight. I am impressed."
Lee Dae-gon spoke with a look of genuine admiration.
"It’s nothing. Is it not the natural duty of the Alliance Leader?"
Lee Jae-won replied with false modesty.
"Nothing? No one else here even thought of it!"
"Hahaha... Hall Master Lee, you’re heaping too much praise on me."
Lee Jae-won waved his hand dismissively at Lee Dae-gon’s words, but a thick smile remained on his face, showing he didn't exactly hate the compliment.
You’re getting a promotion once this competition is over.
He thought to himself that he would definitely promote Lee Dae-gon, whose tongue was as sweet as honey, once the contest concluded.
"It’s not just praise; I mean it. Haha. Anyway, I am very curious to know what kind of competition format you have envisioned."
Lee Dae-gon looked at Lee Jae-won with eyes full of curiosity.
"Since you put it that way, I shall present my plan first. It seems no one else has any other ideas anyway."
"That is only right. It is far better to hear your high opinion than for us to sit here racking our brains."
Lee Dae-gon nodded vigorously in agreement. He looked every bit the part of a sycophant.
"I have put a great deal of thought into this competition to determine which talent possesses the qualities befitting the next Cheonmu Alliance Leader. At first, I thought it might be better to simply test their martial prowess. I believed that formidable strength was the primary virtue a leader should possess."
Lee Jae-won continued with a calm expression.
"Of course. Martial prowess is the basic foundation a leader must have."
Lee Dae-gon chimed in.
"But as I thought more deeply, I realized that martial prowess isn't everything. In a way, isn't the position of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader that of an administrator who runs an organization? I realized that organizational management and administration are also vital virtues."
"You aren't wrong. To lead a massive group like the Cheonmu Alliance, one cannot overlook management and administrative skills alongside martial power."
"And as more time passed, I realized there is something even more important than martial prowess and management skills."
Lee Jae-won spoke with an incredibly serious expression.
"And what would that be?"
"It is Chivalry."
"Chivalry, you say?"
"Indeed. What is the founding philosophy of our Cheonmu Alliance? Is it not a gathering of chivalrous men who do not look, listen, or act unless it aligns with Chivalry? I came to believe that Chivalry is just as important as martial power and management ability."
Lee Jae-won continued in a steady tone.
"Therefore, I would like to propose three different competitions based on these three themes."
"Three different competitions?"
Lee Dae-gon asked back, looking puzzled.
"It’s simple. We will hold separate competitions for martial prowess, management ability, and Chivalry."
Lee Jae-won continued calmly.
"In each competition, points will be awarded, and the candidate with the highest total score will be selected as the final successor."
"But Alliance Leader, in that kind of competition, a mediocre candidate could end up becoming the successor."
At that moment, Du Gwak, the Hall Master of the Wood Hall, who had been silent until now, raised his hand and objected. He couldn't accept such a format.
"It’s not about being mediocre. I simply wish to select a successor who possesses above-average abilities in all areas."
Lee Jae-won replied with a calm face.
You son of a bitch, haven't you heard of an all-rounder? An all-rounder?
Of course, internally, he was cursing out Du Gwak for nitpicking.
"I am opposed. An exceptional talent is better than someone with mediocre abilities across the board."
"Tsk, tsk... Hall Master Du, you have a very antiquated way of thinking."
Lee Jae-won clicked his tongue lightly and continued.
"In this day and age, how can someone be called an exceptional talent just because they are good at one thing? A talent who can do everything is the typical ideal that this era and this Cheonmu Alliance desire."
"Doesn't 'being able to do everything' just mean they lack depth? How can someone with shallow depth manage and lead an organization?"
Du Gwak spoke with a look of incomprehension. Being broad in many fields meant a lack of specialization. How could someone so shallow properly perform the duties of the Alliance Leader? It was preposterous.
"The position of Alliance Leader is one of coordinating, mediating, managing, and operating various organizations. In fact, breadth is more important than depth."
Lee Jae-won countered, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. He was starting to get annoyed by the persistent opposition.
Man, this guy talks too much.
Lee Jae-won thought to himself that he should get rid of this bald bastard soon as well.
"I cannot accept this!"
Du Gwak raised his voice and shouted.
"Don't the rest of you think so as well?"
He then looked around at the rest of the leadership.
"..."
"..."
However, aside from a small minority, no one readily agreed with him. Most of those who had aligned themselves with the candidates were actively supporting Lee Jae-won’s proposal.
Currently, the succession race was heavily skewed in favor of Lee Ye-seol. This was because she had Jang Sun-woo under her command—the man who had effortlessly suppressed the Rising Stars of the Dragon and Phoenix, the greatest geniuses in the Murim.
In such a situation, the Alliance Leader had proposed adding other competitions besides martial prowess. How could they not welcome this with open arms? If the contest wasn't limited to martial power, they actually had a chance. Their supported candidates had a chance to win.
"It seems those who agree with Hall Master Du’s opinion are in the minority."
Lee Jae-won let out a faint smile as he spoke.
"..."
Thud.
Hearing those words, Du Gwak scowled and slumped back into his seat. He realized that the initiative had completely shifted to Lee Jae-won. In this situation, no matter what he said, it was unlikely anyone would listen.
"Thank you for your understanding, Hall Master Du."
Lee Jae-won looked at Du Gwak and offered his thanks with a very mocking smile.
...You bastard.
Facing that mocking smile, Du Gwak cursed internally. He was seething with irritation at the blatant ridicule.
"Anyway, since everyone else seems to agree, I shall now explain the competition."
Lee Jae-won wrapped up the situation and began to speak slowly.
"I will personally preside over the competition regarding martial prowess and evaluate them myself."
"What does that mean, Alliance Leader?"
Lee Dae-gon’s eyes widened in surprise as he asked.
"If it is decided simply by duels between candidates, there may be cases where someone receives a high score due to the luck of the draw rather than actual strength. To prevent such a situation, I will personally duel the candidates to evaluate them objectively."
Lee Jae-won continued in a calm tone.
"But Alliance Leader, there are over twenty factions participating in this succession race. How can you possibly evaluate every single one of them?"
Lee Dae-gon spoke with a look of disbelief. This succession race was crowded with participants, not just Lee Jae-won’s children, but also those from the Nine Sects and various smaller clans. Lee Jae-won’s claim that he would duel each one individually seemed far too unrealistic.
"I believe it is a burden I must bear for the sake of a fair evaluation."
Lee Jae-won replied to the question with an incredibly stoic expression.
"...But still..."
Lee Dae-gon looked worried. There were over twenty candidates. If you included the Rising Stars supporting them, the number exceeded a hundred. He couldn't help but worry if the Alliance Leader intended to handle that many people alone.
"Do not worry too much. I hold the undeserved honor of being called the World's Greatest Martial Artist. Though I may be old, I will not be pushed around by Rising Stars who have only just begun to sprout."
Lee Jae-won spoke with a boisterous expression, exuding an air of magnanimity.
"I object."
At that moment, Heo Sam-gwan, the Hall Master of Palbok Hall, who had been sitting quietly, spoke up.
"...Speak."
Lee Jae-won asked him, maintaining a composed facade.
"The Alliance Leader’s words certainly have merit. If the competition is decided by duels between candidate factions, the results could indeed be swayed by luck rather than ability. However, I do not believe it is right for the Alliance Leader to make an autocratic evaluation."
Heo Sam-gwan’s eyes glittered as he spoke.
"Why do you think so?"
Lee Jae-won asked as if he didn't understand.
"If the Alliance Leader makes an autocratic evaluation, couldn't you simply give high scores to the candidate you favor?"
"Are you questioning my fairness right now?"
Lee Jae-won asked back, looking offended.
"Of course not. I am simply saying that others might see it that way."
In response to Lee Jae-won’s offended tone, Heo Sam-gwan spoke with a sly expression.
Sigh, damn, I really want to bash his head in.
Seeing that, Lee Jae-won felt a surge of murderous intent. That slippery attitude was incredibly grating.